Dead End
by SkyGem
Summary: When a piss drunk Gokudera Hayato walks into Mochida's workplace at three in the morning, neither of them can guess how this one encounter will change both their lives drastically. No pairings. Short multi-chap. Outsider POV.
1. Of Drunkards and the Foundation

Kensuke Mochida is twenty-one and working a dead-end job when he realizes that he's probably one of _those_ people.

The kind who die at twenty-five, but aren't buried until they're seventy-five.

If you were to ask him how exactly his life had turned into such a fucking mess, he wouldn't, for the life of him, be able to answer you.

All he knows is that, between bullying his peers and protecting his siblings from their abusive father, between coasting through high school and always getting himself dead drunk, between flunking out of college and working three part-time jobs to support himself and his siblings, he'd somehow lost the path to the bright future he'd been promised since he was a child.

And he's pissed.

And bitter.

But mostly he's just exhausted.

Exhausted at a life that, at this point, is just plain tedious.

If it weren't for the ten- and twelve-year-olds he is working so hard to support, who still miraculously see wonder in this horrid world, he would probably just waste away to nothing.

Then one night, as he's working the graveyard shift at one of his places of employment, a youth comes in, piss-drunk and mumbling incoherently to himself.

He collapses at the first table he comes across, and fumbles with his phone for a few moments (without success, it seems) before finally giving up and dropping his head into his arms with a huge sigh.

There aren't any customers there at the moment, so Kensuke is free to study the young man who seems so painfully, painfully familiar.

He's wearing a rumpled red dress shirt over a pair of black slacks and shiny black dress shoes.

He has three rings adorning each of his hands, and both his ears are pierced multiple times.

And in the end, it's his hair – messy silver locks tangling and tumbling over each other and hiding his face from view – that provide the essential clue to decoding his identity.

Kensuke can't exactly say he's surprised, that Gokudera Hayato has turned into such a useless bum, but it does make him feel a bit better about his own station in life.

He doesn't notice (or perhaps he doesn't _want_ to notice) the quality of the "useless bum's" clothes.

Kensuke, not wanting anything to do with the man, decides to ignore him.

But when Gokudera is still sitting at the same table, still with his head resting in his arms, an hour later, Kensuke decides that, maybe, he should do something.

Getting out from behind the counter (the restaurant is still completely empty), he begins to approach the drunkard sleeping at the table.

He stops short however, two feet from the table, by the atmosphere surrounding his former schoolmate.

The air around him is charged with something Kensuke can't quite describe, like the calm, the anticipation before the storm.

There are flashes of red arcing off him every once in a while, his hair stirring the slightest bit, as if being lifted by the slightest breeze.

And Kensuke knows, immediately, that it would be unwise to approach the younger male silently.

So he announces his presence in an obnoxiously loud voice, saying, "Oi. Gokudera Hayato."

The delinquent looks up through bleary eyes.

"And what the fuck do you want, asshole?" he demands, and Kensuke raises an eyebrow.

Once upon a time, he would have blown up at the younger male, but he's grown and learned, and right now, he really doesn't give enough of a damn to quarrel with a drunkard.

"If you're not going to buy anything from here, I would appreciate it if you'd leave. You're disrupting business."

Gokudera stares at him for a moment, then takes a very slow, deliberate glance around the restaurant.

"What business?" he then asks, an eyebrow raised.

Growling under his breath, Kensuke crosses his arms.

"If you don't leave right this moment, I'll call the Foundation on you."

When the fearsome Hibari Kyoya had graduated high school and gone on to "the real world", all of Namimori had let out a sigh of relief, thinking that his fearful reign over the small community was finally over.

But no such luck. In fact, he had gone on to form the Foundation, which is now feared as the number one form of law enforcement in their town.

Mochida is just relieved that, over the past years, the fearful skylark has mellowed out some, and become far fairer than he had been in his school days.

Namimori is actually quite a pleasant place to live in these days, so long as you aren't a troublemaker. Like the person in front of him right now.

Instead of looking scared however, Gokudera just smirks.

"Go right ahead," he says, lounging back in his chair like a king.

Before Kensuke can make a move towards a phone though, the door to the restaurant opens with a bright chime.

And in walks Hibari Kyoya himself, wearing an expression that promises nothing good for anyone.

Swallowing down the sudden fear that rises up in him, and not even stopping to wonder how the skylark had chosen the exact right moment to make his entrance, Kensuke backs up a few steps, not wanting to get in the way of the carnage that is about to take place.

Gokudera, not seeming to understand the danger he is in, lifts a hand in greeting.

"'Sup Kyoya. Took you long enough."

Hibari, not looking the least bit impressed, comes to a stop in front of Gokudera's table, looming over him menacingly.

"You were expected back in Italy two hours ago, herbivore."

Gokudera just shrugs. "I didn't think Juudaime would appreciate seeing his right-hand man like... _this._ So I called to tell him I was held up."

Hibari raises an eyebrow.

"That was five hours ago."

Gokudera shrugs.

"I tried to send him a text earlier, but that didn't quite work out. I assumed you would be able to give him a _progress report_ though?"

Gokudera says 'progress report' with as much sarcasm as humanly possible.

"You know, considering you've had two men tailing me all night."

Hibari doesn't even bother to deny the accusation.

"I have informed the herbivore of your inebriated state," informs Hibari, and Gokudera's eyes widen in panic.

"You _**WHAT**_?" he demands.

Hibari smirks.

"The omnivore will be arriving in eleven hours."

"You fucking..." growls Gokudera, stumbling slightly as he gets up from his table. "Why the _hell_ did you do that? You know he was already worried enough! You didn't have to go and add fuel to the fire!"

Hibari shrugs.

"You were causing trouble in my town."

"So you disrupted Juudaime's busy schedule and had him come to Japan just for that? Fucking wonderful!"

And with that, Gokudera stomps out of the restaurant, presumably to go and sober up.

Hibari follows silently after him, and Kensuke thinks for a moment that it almost looks like Hibari is watching out for him.

* * *

SkyGem: Well guys, I hope you liked this chapter! Please do leave a review and let me know what you thought, yes? This short two-shot is for Bleach-ed-Na-tsu, just because she adores Mochida so much

XD I'll be, hopefully, updating Bleeding Heart later tonight, so look forward to it!


	2. Of Flirtations and Gunshots

Mochida Kensuke drops, boneless, onto the bar stool, and runs both hands down his face, trying to wake up a bit.

It's been a horribly long week, and he needs something to take the edge off things a bit.

"I'll take a Manhattan," he says when the bartender comes around, before he's even had a chance to open his mouth. He's perhaps a few years older than Kensuke. He has short black hair styled in a pixie cut, and a face that could generously be described as plain.

But he always has a ready smile that suits his face, wide brown eyes that are always sparkling with laughter, and a boisterous personality that gives him a certain charm that puts Kensuke at ease and brightens his day a bit.

And if Kensuke just happens to only visit on days he's working, then that's nobody's business but his own.

"Ah, can't do that for you buddy," he says, the corners of his lips turning down a bit, as if in apology. "We just ran out of bourbon. Should be in tomorrow, but until then no can do on your Manhattan."

Kensuke closes his eyes and breathes out through his nose. Absolutely wonderful.

"Just make it with rye," he says when he opens his eyes again, only to see the bartender frown almost immediately.

"I can't do that!" he says , his voice sounding as offended as if Kensuke has just insulted his mother. "Bartending is an art, and I use bourbon, not rye. Choose again."

Kensuke feels the corners of his lips twitching upwards, amused despite himself.

"What do you have then?" he asks, hoping to smooth the frown off his face. "What's your specialty?"

"I can make you a greyhound," says the bartender, his frown replaced by his usual smile. "Popular in this area."

Kensuke clicks his tongue. "Tch. I hate Gin, not strong enough."

The bartender raises an eyebrow and crosses his arms with a huff. "How about a B52?" he asks.

"Too sweet." replies, and decides to ignore the bartender's exasperated eye-roll (just because he's cute). "What about a Long Island?"

The bartender looks amused now. "Thought you didn't like gin?" he asks, his tone teasing.

Kensuke looks up at the ceiling with an expression of great suffering. "It'll do til I can think of something else," he replies in a dramatic tone that garners a chuckle from his friend. "'Sides, once the first one goes down I wont be able to taste anything."

The bartender raises an eyebrow.

"Long day?" he asks as he sets about mixing Kensuke's drink.

"Long day, long week, long life," replies Kensuke with a groan.

The bartender makes a sympathetic sound.

And Kensuke doesn't know why, but he says, "A dude came in to my work yesterday, piss-drunk, at three in the morning, and hung out for like an hour before Hibari Kyoya came around to pick him up."

The bartender whistled low in amazement. "Bad enough for Hibari himself to come take him away? Damn."

"Mm," replies Kensuke in a noncommittal tone, not bothering to mention that Hibari had treated the drunkard less like a troublemaker and more like a...friend.

The bartender puts his drink down in front of him then.

But instead of going back to his work, he stares at Kensuke for a moment, before asking, "Did the guy have silver hair?"

Kensuke startles so badly, he almost spills his drink all over himself, which earns a chuckle from the bartender.

"How did you know?" asks Kensuke, wiping his mouth on his sleeve.

The bartender looks around to make sure there aren't any customers to be taken care of (it's almost 2 am on a Tuesday morning, so the bar is practically deserted), before answering.

"He was in here last night," he says, wiping his hands on a tea towel before sitting down across from Kensuke. "He was the one that finished up the last of our bourbon, actually. Drank so much I was starting to worry he'd get alcohol poisoning. And he was still just barely tipsy by the end of it."

"Really?" asks Kensuke, taking a sip, finding himself strangely interested. "Do you know why?"

"Mm," says the bartender absently, as if unsure whether he should answer, whether the information is too private to share.

"The guy's from Italy," he finally says, looking up to meet Kensuke's eyes. "Apparently he was in Namimori to visit his mother's grave, for the anniversary of her death."

And suddenly, Kensuke feels like an asshole.

It's not a new feeling, but something he hasn't felt in a long time.

"Do you..." the bartender starts, but then trails off, his hand rubbing at the back of his neck and his expression radiating uncertainty. "Do you know where Hibari took him?"

"Home, probably," replies Kensuke, trying not to feel too irritated at the worry in his new friend's face. "They seemed like friends."

The bartender nods, seeming relieved.

"He seemed like a decent guy," he explains. "I'd hate for his night to have been even worse than it already was."

Kensuke gives a grunt and finishes the last of his drink before setting his glass down with a thunk.

He'd intended to buy some more, but he doesn't feel all that much like staying here any more.

Handing some bills to the bartender (making sure to leave a _very_ generous tip), he bends to pick up his bag, and spends a few moments making sure he has everything – keys, wallet, phone, etc.

"Wait!" says the bartender, just as he's turning to leave, and Kensuke turns to see him scribbling something on a receipt.

"Here!" he says, his face burning, as he holds the receipt out with two hands, and Kensuke reaches for it, curious.

His eyes widen when he sees the bartender has written cell phone number on it (along with his name), and he feels his lips curl up into a sly smile.

Sidling closer, he opens his mouth to say something, but is interrupted when the door bursts open, and a group of people stumble in.

Kensuke and the bartender, whom he now knows is named Izumi Koutarou, both turn to see the newcomers.

Kensuke is startled to see that he recognizes them, but that thought is quickly pushed aside as he realizes that one of them is bleeding. A lot.

He has messy brown hair and is wearing a suit, and Kensuke has one shocking moment to process the fact that it's _Dame-Tsuna_ of all people, before someone is yelling at him to get his phone out.

He does as told, distantly noticing that Gokudera is the one yelling at him, and he looks a lot more sober than the night before.

He's about to dial 119 for the ambulance, but Gokudera rattles off a different number to call, and Kensuke does so as Tsuna's three friends work to stop the bleeding as best they can.

Kensuke hands the phone to Gokudera then, too surprised to be anything other than obedient as the delinquent speaks in rapid fire Italian to the person on the other end, and his other friends yell at Izumi to get a first aid kit, and enlist Kensuke's help in getting Tsuna's tattered shirt off.

* * *

SkyGem: The end! Not XD This ended up going in a different direction than I'd intended, so I decided to add on one or two more chapters. The bartender Mochida is talking to was actually originally a girl, but then my lovely Bleach-ed-Na-tsu suggested I write Pan!Mochi, so I was like "Sure, why not, that'd be AWESOME." Mr. Bartender wasn't even supposed to be such a major character though. Originally his only purpose was to tell Mochi about Hayato, but then things happened, and I adore him now. What do you guys think though? Please review and let me know what you thought! Ciao!


	3. Of Flames and Family

As Izumi runs off to get the First Aid kit, the blue-haired man that Kensuke doesn't recognize sits down with his legs spread in front of him, and together, Gokudera and Hibari, who've already managed to get their friend's shirt off, maneuver Tsuna so that he's sitting with his back to the blue-haired man's chest, his head lying in the crook of the taller man's neck.

"Here," growls Gokudera, pausing his phone conversation just long enough to throw two handkerchiefs at Kensuke. "Stop standing there like an idiot and make yourself useful. Press these against the wounds on Juudaime's front and back to stop the bleeding."

Kensuke does as told, while Gokudera and Hibari work methodically to remove all of Tsuna's clothes to check for any other injuries and to make sure the bullet really had exited where they thought it had, instead of traveling to another part of Tsuna's body.

As he holds the handkerchiefs, Kensuke's mind is reeling, trying to comprehend what's going on.

Trying to ignore the ache in his knees as he kneels awkwardly next to his former schoolmate, and the fact that his hand is squeezed in between Tsuna's and the blue-haired man's bodies, he focuses instead on their conversation.

The man is carding his fingers through Tsuna's hair, whispering soothing words to him in both Japanese and Italian.

Tsuna replies every once in a while, his voice absurdly lighthearted, given the situation they're currently in. It sometimes takes him a little too long to reply when he gets distracted by his pain, but his friend just waits patiently and smiles indulgently as he answers.

By the time Izumi gets back, Gokudera has finished his phone conversation.

"Finally," he growls, grabbing the kit from Izumi and saying, "Go take Mochida's place."

Slightly startled at the command, Kensuke carefully extracts his hands so that the bartender can take his place.

"You go lock the door," Gokudera barks at Kensuke as he starts rifling through the first aid kid for some gauze to replace the soaked handkerchiefs they've been using to try and stop the bleeding. "Those fucktards probably followed us here, and we need to stall them as long as possible until backup gets here."

Swallowing down his question about who, exactly, would be crazy enough to target one of _Hibari Kyoya's_ friends, Kensuke gets up to do as told.

He's halfway to the door when, suddenly, it blasts open, and a bunch of yakuza thugs start swaggering into the bar as if they own the place.

"God fucking dammit!" he hears Gokudera swear, and Kensuke's eyes flick over for a second to see that the blue-haired man is slowly, carefully shifting his position so that he can sit back-to-back with Tsuna, and so that he can see the thugs threatening them.

Hibari has just finished re-dressing Tsuna, and is standing up, leaving only Izumi still trying to stop the bleeding, and Gokudera, holding faintly glowing yellow hands over Tsuna's wound, his eyebrows knit together in concentration.

He also seems to have taken over the blue-haired man's job of distracting Tsuna, if the long string of curse words flowing from his mouth and Tsuna's weak laughter are anything to go by.

Kensuke steps out of the way then, as Hibari steps forward – obviously the former prefect has a lot more experience in a fight, and it would be best not to get in his way.

But as Kensuke walks slowly back towards Tsuna and the rest, still keeping one eye on the thugs, he notices something strange about the blue-haired man.

He's staring intently at the attackers, his right eye completely enveloped in indigo flames, and Kensuke steps back with a shudder.

Those look just like...

But there's no way that's possible.

He whips his head around to look at Hibari, who's finally decided to make his move, his tonfas already out.

Kensuke gasps, stumbling backwards as he sees that even Hibari's tonfa are wrapped in bright violet flames.

He wants desperately to ignore all of this, to close his eyes and convince himself that the flames aren't real, to convince himself that they're just a figment of his imagination, the same way he had last month, when his father had been threatening his brothers, and those read and green flames had burst forth from within him.

But then he catches sight of Tsuna, still sitting with his back against the blue-haired man.

And he sees Izumi trying desperately to stop the bleeding, and Gokudera's hands are still glowing that faint yellow and Kensuke wonders idly if those are flames too.

And as he's thinking that, he realizes there's no time for him to be a brat.

Unless he wants to keep being that same useless waste of space who's going to die at twenty-five, and isn't buried until he's seventy-five.

And he's _tired_ of being that man.

So he tries to remember how he'd felt that night – he tries to remember the fierce protectiveness boiling in his chest, tries to remember the determination to make everything alright for the innocent souls depending on him to keep them safe.

And he knows he's succeeded when he feels all eyes in the room snap to him.

He knows he's succeeded as he rushes towards the attackers with murder in his eyes, and brilliant red flames licking at his knuckles.

He knows he's succeeded as his fist connects with a jaw, and he feels bones creaking and giving way beneath his punch.

Then, all hell breaks loose, and even though it hurts, he feels a fierce swell of pride when he sees Hibari give him an approving smirk when they pass each other once in the middle of the fray.

It feels like the fight goes on forever, even though Kensuke knows it can't have been more than five minutes.

But then next thing he knows, he and Hibari are the only ones left standing, and every inch of his body is aching, but he's never felt so good. He's never felt so goddamn _**proud**_ of himself.

He stands there, stock-still, staring at the carnage and unable to move until he hears an impressed whistle from behind him.

Gokudera and Tsuna and Izumi and the blue-haired man are all staring at him with wide eyes.

"Didn't know you even had flames, let alone that you could control them," says Gokudera, his eyebrows raised to his hairline.

Kensuke attempts a smirk.

"Anything you can do, I can do better," he says, and there's an unexpected bark of laughter from the blue-haired man.

"Fuck off, Mukuro," growls Gokudera, glaring at the blue-haired man before turning back to Tsuna, his hands still glowing a faint yellow.

Kensuke steps forward, intrigued, and asks, "Are they supposed to be that faint?"

"My main flames are storm, like your red ones," replies Gokudera, not looking up from the wound again. "My sun flames aren't anywhere near powerful, but I have just enough to make sure Juudaime doesn't die until we can get a proper sun flame user in here."

Kensuke's eyes widen in understanding, and he's about to ask more when suddenly, the door is thrown open for the second time that night, and he spins around, getting ready for another fight.

But instead of more yakuza thugs, Sasagawa Ryohei steps into the bar, followed by three others.

There are blazing yellow flames already licking at his hands, and he immediately makes his way to Tsuna's side, nudging Izumi over so that he can get his hands on his friend.

The other three people that entered along with him split up and head towards Hibari and Kensuke, to check for injuries.

Kensuke is kept preoccupied for a while after that, and when next he has a chance to look around, he notices with some disappointment that Tsuna has already been taken away.

* * *

After that incident at the bar, Kensuke somehow doesn't expect he'll see Tsuna and his friends again.

After all, Izumi _had_ said that they were from Italy after all. They probably want to get back home as soon as possible after the craziness they'd experienced.

Contrary to his expectations though, Kensuke was watching television the very next afternoon, lazing around so he doesn't accidentally open up some of his wounds, when he hears the doorbell ring.

Answering it, he's more than a little startled to see Sawada Tsunayoshi standing there, a dazzlingly bright smile on his face and not looking the least bit like he's just survived a gunshot wound.

"Mochida Kensuke-kun," he says almost immediately after Kensuke has answered the door. "How would you like to join my family?"

* * *

 _ **The End**_

* * *

SkyGem: Whoo! Two updates in one night! I'm on a roll! So, what'd you guys think of this fic? Did you like it? Do you think the ending was good? Please do leave a review and let me know what you thought! And I look forward to your continued support in my future projects! Ja!


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